Q & A: Billy Graham on Aging, Regrets, and Evangelicals

The evangelist says he "sometimes crossed the line" in politics, "old age can be a lonely time," and warns evangelicals of being "victims of our own success."

Interview by Sarah Pulliam Bailey| January 21, 2011

Q & A: Billy Graham on Aging, Regrets, and Evangelicals

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Q & A: Billy Graham on Aging, Regrets, and Evangelicals

The evangelist says he "sometimes crossed the line" in politics, "old age can be a lonely time," and warns evangelicals of being "victims of our own success."

Interview by Sarah Pulliam Bailey| January 21, 2011

Even through he struggles with his hearing, sight, and other health issues in his ninth decade, Billy Graham continued to do what he's done with every American President since Harry Truman. Last year, he met and prayed with President Obama and in December, he met again with former President George W. Bush. But if he could go back and do anything over again, he told Christianity Today, he would have steered clear of politics.

Since his wife's death nearly four years ago, he spends most of his time in his home in Montreat with around-the-clock care. Although he rarely appears in public, his son Franklin Graham said his father would like to preach again on video, but a date is not confirmed. CT submitted brief questions for Billy Graham to his staff by e-mail for an update on his health and a reflection on his years in ministry.

What advice would you give to people who are aging?

First, accept it as part of God's plan for your life, and thank him every day for the gift of that day. We've come to look on old age as something to be dreaded—and it's true that it isn't easy. I can't honestly say that I like being old—not being able to do most of the things I used to do, for example, and being more dependent on others, and facing physical challenges that I know will only get worse. Old age can be a lonely time also—children scattered, spouse and friends gone.

But God has a reason for keeping us here (even if we don't always understand it), and we need to recover the Bible's understanding of life and longevity as gifts from God—and therefore as something good. Several times the Bible mentions people who died "at a good old age"—an interesting phrase (emphasis added). So part of my advice is to learn to be ...

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